Fixing Fallacies: The Church of Christianity
Fixing Fallacies • Sermon • Submitted
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In this Series, We are Fixing Some Commonly Held Fallacies about Christianity
Fallacy = Misconception or Mistaken Belief
Last Week We Looked at How Jesus is the Ruler of Christianity and the New Testament is His Authoritative Word
Today We are Focusing on Fallacies Surrounding the Church of Christianity
Introduction to the Church
Introduction to the Church
Ever Since God Created Adam and Eve in the Garden, He has Wanted to Live With Humans
But Through Sin, Humans were Separated from God
So God Eventually Chose a Faithful Man Named Abraham to be the Head of a Special People Who God would Live with
Abraham’s Descendants would Eventually be Called the Nation/Kingdom of Israel
They were Given Laws to Obey that would Keep Them from Sinning and Separating Themselves from Him Again
As Long as They Kept These Laws, God would Live with Them, and They would Bless the World by Living Holy Lives and Eradicating the Wickedness of Sin
But They Never Could Keep the Laws God had Given and They Continued to Sin
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
When the Appointed Time had Come, God Sent His Son to Live and Die to Redeem His People
We Sold Ourselves to Sin and Death
Jesus’ Death was the Price that was Paid for God to Buy Us Back
We Could Once Again be in the Fellowship and Family of God as His Adopted Children
but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.
The Family of God that We are Adopted into is the Church
The Church is Not a Building, it is a Body/Group of People
Just as the Old Law is No Longer the Authority of God’s People...
God’s Old Law People, Israel, are No Longer His Special People
The Church is God’s Chosen Special People Now
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Just as God has Always Wanted to Live with Us, He Does so with His Church
Paul Calls the Church the Temple of God in 1 Corinthians 3, 6 and Ephesians 2
Peter Calls the Church a Spiritual House for God in 1 Peter 2
The Beginning Of The Church
The Beginning Of The Church
The Church Began Not Long After the Old Law was Nailed to the Cross with Jesus
The Book of Acts Shows Us the Early History of the Church
In Acts 2 We See the Beginning of People being Added Together into a Group by Jesus Himself
And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!”
So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.
And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common;
and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.
Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
This Number of People being Saved are the Church of Jesus Christ
They would be Referred to as “the Church” All Throughout the Book of Acts, Beginning in Acts 5:11
(KJV and NKJV Say “Church” in Acts 2:47, but Most of the Manuscripts We have Show that was Added at a Later Date)
Church = ekklēsia = an assembly/congregation
The Church is God’s Special People Who have been Saved by Jesus
Together, They Make Up the Temple/House of God
They are God’s Adopted Children and Siblings to Jesus Christ
They are Heirs of God’s Kingdom
Now Let’s Look at a Few Fallacies Concerning the Church
Fallacy 1: There Are Many Churches Belonging To Christ
Fallacy 1: There Are Many Churches Belonging To Christ
You Don’t Have to Go Far to See that There are Many Different Types of Churches that Claim to Belong to Jesus
The Reason There are so Many Different Types of Churches is Pretty Simple
They All Have Different Beliefs When it Comes to Certain Aspects of the Bible
Having All These Different Options of Churches Fits Our Society Very Well
You can Join Whichever Church Fits Your Personality, Interests, Style, and Beliefs Best
This Sounds like a Good Thing because it’s Very Accommodative
But We Must Remember that We are Not the Authority in Christianity, Jesus is
The Church Doesn’t Belong to Us, and it Isn’t about Entertainment and Personal Preferences
The Church Belongs to Him, and it’s about Worshiping, Serving, and Giving Him Glory
So the Question We Need to Ask is this:
Is this What Jesus Wants for His Church?
Does Jesus Want His Church Divided into Different Groups with Different Beliefs?
“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;
that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
Jesus Prayed to the Father that His Current Disciples and His Future Disciples would All be One
He Prayed for Unity in the Church
Jesus Doesn’t Agree with All the Division We See Today
Paul Wrote this to the Corinthian Church that was Starting to Divide:
I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
He was Begging Them by the Authority of Christ to Agree and Not be Divided
The Apostle Paul and Jesus Didn’t Want the Church Divided into Different Belief Systems
Paul Speaks about How Important Unity is to the Church in Ephesians 4
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,
being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
We are to Work Hard at Having Unity and Paul Shows Us Some Things that We Must be United Over
One of Those Things is: There is Only One Body
What is Paul Referring to?
And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,
which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
The Church is the Body of Jesus
If Jesus is the Only Head/Ruler/Authority Over the Church
It would Make Sense that He would Only have One Body
Here’s an Important Question:
If There is Only One Church as the Bible Says, and There are Thousands of Different Religious Bodies Out There...
Which One is the Correct One?
If They All Teach Different Things and All Worship in Different Ways, They Can’t All be Right
Which Church is Jesus’ True Body?
The Answer:
The One that Listens to and Obeys Him as its Head
It Doesn’t Matter What is on the Sign Outside
The Early Church Didn’t Have a Name
It had Descriptions like:
The Body of Christ
The Church of Christ
The Church of God
The Church of the Living God
The Bride of Christ
The Church of the First-Born
The Family in Heaven and Earth
The Flock of God
God’s Building
The Temple of God
The House of God
The House of Christ
And We Could Go On and On
We Describe Ourselves as the Church of Christ because it is Simple and Straightforward
We are the Church that Belongs to Christ
But It Doesn’t Matter What is Put on the Sign Outside (as Long as it Points to and Honors God)
What Matters is that They Teach, Preach, and Worship the Way Jesus has Commanded
We will be Talking More about the Specifics of that in the Coming Weeks
The Main Point is this:
Jesus Only Built, Established, and Saves One Church
There are Many Congregations of that One Church Throughout the World
But There are Also Religious Bodies that Do Not Obey and Honor Jesus as Their Head
I Believe and Strive to Make Sure that this Congregation is and Remains the Church that has Jesus as its Head
That is Why I Choose to Worship Here
Fallacy 2: You Can Be A Christian Without Being In Christ’s Church
Fallacy 2: You Can Be A Christian Without Being In Christ’s Church
There is a Big Push for this in the World
Many People Love the Idea of Jesus but Hate the Idea of Organized Religion
The Idea is that a Person can be just as Much of a Christian Without Affiliation with the Church as They Could by Being an Active Member of the Church
Many People Feel a Spiritual Connection to God on the Lake, in the Woods, at Home with Family, etc.
They can Pray to, Study about, and Worship God Without Needing a Church Family
Can a Person be a Faithful Christian Without the Church?
The Simple Answer is, Absolutely Not!
Christianity was Never Designed to be an Individual Effort
It’s All about Being an Active Part of a New Family and Society Called The Kingdom of God
There are so Many Things that We are Commanded to Do that Require Association with Our Brothers and Sisters
Bearing Each Others’ Burdens
Confessing Sins to One Another
Encouraging One Another
Church Discipline
Sharing and Fellowshiping
The Great Commission
Confession and Baptism
The Lord’s Supper
Singing to One Another
Teaching and Preaching
It’s Impossible to be a Follower of Jesus Without Being an Active and Faithful Member of His Church
And There’s No Reason Why We Should Want it Any Different
Jesus’ People are the Greatest People on Earth, and I Wouldn’t Want to be a Part of Any Other Community
Are You a Faithful Member of Jesus’ One True Community/Body/Church?